N.J. officials hope new produce truck will be oasis in Camden's 'food desert'

CAMDEN — Hailed by state Secretary of Agriculture Doug Fisher as a “cross between a bookmobile and an ice cream truck,” a new food truck offering locally grown fruits and vegetables, as well as information on how to prepare them, opened Wednesday as one of the few places city residents can find fresh produce.

A creation of the state Department of Agriculture (DOA), to be administered by the Camden Children’s Garden, the Mobile Market Program made its first sales outside the Mickle Towers apartment complex, where residents purchased produce by the bag following a press conference announcing the initiative.

“I’m not so good at eating vegetables all the time,” said Kojo Preston, a 70-year-old resident of the towers who eyed the selection of tomatoes, asparagus, onions, leafy greens, fresh eggs and baked goods.

“I think it’s nice. It might help.”

The City of Camden is considered to be one of the nine worst “food deserts” in the United States, where the lack of major grocery stores and other markets often leaves residents without easy access to fresh foods.

In March, city officials announced that a new ShopRite, slated for construction on Admiral Wilson Boulevard, would be the first full-service grocery to exist within city limits in 30 years. However, with the ShopRite not expected to open until 2015, fast foods along with greasy pizza and processed lunchmeat remain the cheapest and most readily available options in town.

“The fact that we even have to have this discussion today shows that there’s something wrong,” said state Sen. Donald Norcross (D-5) at a press conference held inside Mickle Towers.

“It shouldn’t matter what ZIP code you are in — fresh fruits and vegetables should be available to you," Norcross added later.

However, the new truck isn’t all healthy fruits and vegetables. Residents at Mickle Towers who purchased spinach and strawberries could also pick up cookies and donuts from the stand.

In addition, those cookies and donuts were the least expensive items available — at 50 cents and 75 cents each, respectively.

Meanwhile, tomatoes cost $1 each.

Michael Devlin, director of the Camden Children’s Garden, defended their inclusion, stating that even he enjoys sweets every once in a while.

“Everything in moderation,” he said.

Produce sold from the truck comes from the Camden City Garden Club — the parent organization of the Camden Children’s Garden — as well as Duffields' Farm Market in Washington Township and other New Jersey farms.

According to Devlin, the law signed by the governor in 2012 allowing the Department of Agriculture to establish mobile produce stands in urban food deserts stipulated that they must use “as much Jersey produce as possible.”

The truck itself, which includes a trailer with a refrigerator system, was provided by a $63,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation.

Devlin said the produce truck will accept food stamps and other vouchers. Sale prices will include a “small” markup of about 25 cents, which Devlin stated will be used to sustain the project.

“I know what people’s ability to purchase food is here in Camden,” he said.

“It’s going to be educational,” Devlin added. “We’re going to take this on the road and show people how to prepare these vegetables which they may not have heard of before.

"But, we found the more they know about them, the more they crave them.”